In this episode of the GTM After Hours podcast, Mark Bliss and Trevor van Woerden discuss the evolving landscape of sales and marketing, emphasizing the decline of cold outreach and the need for sales professionals to adopt a more marketing-oriented approach. They explore the importance of building authentic relationships, the role of SDRs, and the significance of storytelling in sales. Trevor shares insights on how sales reps can differentiate themselves and the value of engaging with their audience on platforms like LinkedIn. The conversation culminates in advice for new sales professionals, encouraging them to embrace their roles and focus on ethical selling.

Takeaways

• Cold outreach is no longer effective in sales.
• Salespeople need to adopt a marketing mindset.
• SDRs should focus on building relationships, not just making calls.
• Quality of outreach is more important than quantity.
• Sales strategies must evolve with changing market dynamics.
• Sales teams should be incentivized based on conversion rates.
• Effective outreach requires understanding the prospect's needs.
• Sales and marketing alignment is crucial for success.
• Building genuine connections leads to better sales outcomes.
• The sales process is now more relationship-based than transactional. Building relationships is more important than just closing deals.
• Intimate dinners with plus ones can enhance networking.
• Co-branding at events increases credibility and engagement.
• Authentic engagement leads to meaningful connections.
• Sales reps should share personal stories to differentiate themselves.
• Storytelling is a powerful tool in sales strategy.
• LinkedIn should be used for authentic engagement, not just sales pitches.
• Sales reps need to understand their clients' needs deeply.
• Creating a safe environment for sharing stories fosters connections.
• Rookie sales reps should embrace their roles and stay true to themselves.

Sound Bites

• "Cold Outreach is dead."
• "You have to prove your worth."
• "What if we just label that as marketing?"
• "It's about quality, not quantity."
• "Salespeople sell what you pay them to sell."
• "SDRs are my favorite employees, period."
• "You can't treat it like it was 20 years ago."
• "You need to do more than that."
• "That's not relational. That is a hustle."
• "You have to watch for that."
• "You can become the authority on it."
• "It's a good job. It's a worthy job."
• "Stay true to yourself. Stay true."

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